Thursday, June 14, 2012

A Swedish Feminist’s Perspective On Swedish State "Feminism"

Helene Bergman. Journalist, feminist and
former radio host of the legendary women's programme Radio Ellen on Swedish
Radio.

Professors blogg Preface

Journalist
Helene Bergman is definitely one of the pioneers of “classic“ egalitarian feminism in Sweden, a concept who’s relevance and importance is as significant
today as in the days when Helene was pioneering it. Her voice in Sweden is
heard with respect as a woman and a feminist, and as a human rights advocate,
already since the late 60’s. She led the legendary program Radio Ellen, which was
in the front-line of the noble struggle for full women’s rights and respect for
gender equality.

When
I was myself a student in the sixties we heard often that absurd distinction
between developed countries and underdeveloped countries. However, our fighting
generation repelled such pejoratives and misleading notions, and instead we referred
a distinction between “wrong developed” countries and “poorly developed
countries”. We were young and radical – radical we are still - yet we
understood in that distinction that “modern” is not always synonymous with
progress. We wanted others also to understand that, behind the glitter of
“development”, lies partly hidden an underlying premise that causes an enormous
volume of misery for greater or lesser segments within the population. Partly, those
miseries are also intellectual. And we do understand the struggle for Human Rights as also for the socio-economic emancipation of all women and men and for an egalitarian distributed human dignity - gender equality; and the fighting against supremacists of all kind.

In
the present piece of Helene Bergman here submitted to Professors blog – and
which we are honoured to publish– she develops anew her critical theses on key
issues about the development - or less fortunate development? – of some streams
of Swedish feminism.

Whether
one agrees or not with Helene’s vanguard analyses, intelligent readers and/or
unbiased critics will surely recognize that the issues she has taken up are of
primary relevance, and also intriguing in their treatment. Helene is a woman
with a bright, brave, and wise voice. Professors Blogg presents her opinion proudly,
not least because here in these columns we authors are not exactly conservative./
Prof. Ferrada-Noli

It is a
machinery where man-hating radical "feminists" with no grasp of feminism's
legacy, journalists who wield power but have no real understanding of the
purpose of journalism, and members of the judicial system who want to make a
career out of the equal rights and opportunities doctrine work hand in hand.

What is
happening in Sweden today is unworthy of a country that calls itself a
democracy.

But
that's not all! Julian Assange's case has revealed the true face of Swedish
patriotism as well. Whosoever dares criticize this propaganda machinery risks being
either ignored or condemned through guilt by association.

But I take this risk because, after all, I am a journalist
and a feminist in Sweden, and the right of freedom of expression also applies
to me, even if I am critical.

Julian
Assange’s affairs in Stockholm opened the floodgates for the downgraded
variants of feminism and journalism that are present in Sweden today.

The
preliminary investigation protocol detailing Julian Assange's liaisons with two
women makes for shocking reading for a Swedish feminist pioneer of the 1970s.

I am
one of those who, as the host for many years of the legendary women's program
Radio Ellen on Swedish Radio, fought for women’s rights and equality between
the sexes.

I could
never have dreamt that a legitimate struggle for equal rights and opportunities
for both women and men would degenerate into state feminism devoid of common
sense and reason.

Those
of us who pioneered feminism in Sweden in the 1970s fought for our sexual
freedom and for the right to take responsibility for ourselves, but we also
fought to be able to, like men already do, enjoy sex.

Sexual
liberation went hand-in-hand with the demand that we as women must be able to
support ourselves and not be economically dependent on men. This is essential
because only when we women are economically independent will we be able say
'no' if we feel we are being sexually used. Being a feminist is not about
hating men. Feminism is about strengthening women’s self esteem, not about
making ourselves into victims or being categorized by the state as victims by
default.

But in
today's feminist Sweden, the following can happen. In the preliminary
investigation minutes for the case of Julian Assange in Sweden, I read: Woman
A. says about her relationship with Julian Assange: "I was proud as hell
to get the world's coolest man in bed and living in my apartment." After
having sexual intercourse on numerous occasions, she goes to the police.

How did
Sweden's sexual revolution of the 1970s transform into an oppressive 21st
century power apparatus where men are portrayed as potential enemies and
threats to the state? A state in which those who criticize the prevailing
system are denied a voice in the media.

Liberation
feminism was hijacked in the late 1980s when it was disarmed and renamed
'Jämställdhet' (the equal rights and opportunities doctrine) and co-opted into
the power apparatus. Jämställdhet became
the state norm and an ideology in Sweden. And it became a career ladder,
especially in politics, civil service and in the judicial system.

Many
pioneering feminists disappeared into Swedish universities, where they
transformed our struggle into 'scientific knowledge', and became elite
feminists. They got money from the State, as universities in Sweden are
publicly funded. Instead of talking about 'the sexes' they started talking
about 'genders', and the struggle no longer focused on transforming the state
apparatus: it switched to targeting the male sex and men as sexual creatures.
The present totalitarian gender ideology was also promoted by the Swedish
media, which does what is required from it by the State.

In
today's Sweden, the media is dedicated to educating the population rather than
to keeping power in check.

When it
comes to Julian Assange there are, naturally, underlying motivations. He
challenged media by doing what every journalist dreams of: a global Scoop!

What
Julian Assange and WikiLeaks did was wound the pride of many journalists.

Every
journalist dreams of getting The Scoop, but very few manage to pull it off.

The
Swedish tabloid Expressen tried to turn Julian Assange himself into the scoop
with the headline: "Manhunt for Wikileaks Julian Assange - suspected of
rape in Sweden."

Some
hours later the investigation was cancelled. It was later re-opened by a new
prosecutor, Marianne Ny, who clearly holds radical feminist views. She
collaborates with the politician, lawyer, and former Jämställdhet ombudsman, Claes Borgström.

And now
it’s not only the two women who voluntarily invited Julian Assange to their
homes and slept with him several times before they discovered that he was
simply a normal horny man. Now, the media too had discovered that Julian
Assange was not some saint, but a typical horny man.

But the
bloodthirsty media forces initiated a hunt without checking the facts of the
case and without waiting for a trial. Instead, the media became judge and jury
because the politically correct approach in today’s Sweden is that women are
always victims and are blameless when it comes to sex.

That
fact that the media behaves like some kind of people’s court of mob justice in
the case of Julian Assange is very serious; the media whipping up a hostile
sentiment against Julian Assange before he has even been brought to trial in a
Swedish court is in violation of his human rights. It is a grave state of
affairs when Sweden's biggest newspapers won't even publish his own words.

The
media should not take the role of the courts by speculating about a case before
due process has been carried out and judgment rendered. The media's role is to
examine the facts and show respect for the rule of law in a democracy.

Sensationalist
headlines, tabloid journalism based on rumor and personal antagonism is not
journalism. It is simply a way of selling newspapers and cheating the public.
This form of Swedish journalism is unworthy of a democracy.

Worst
of all is the fact that Julian Assange has been under house arrest in England
with an electronic tagging device on his ankle for over 500 days. He does not
want to go to Sweden because he fears that Sweden will extradite him to the
United States.

Julian
Assange's case raises serious questions about human rights violations in the
democratic country we call Sweden. But the media will not report on this. It is
preoccupied with creating as much antagonism towards Julian Assange as
possible.

8 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Thank you for your clear and valuable insight. It gives a light of hope on yet another dark day in the persecution of this brilliant man. I feel that he may also have offended many other men by demonstrating that women also, like a man with a good mind. A clear moral compass adds to the appeal. All Assanges' obvious attributes bring shame to those 'small' men who are perpetrating this injustice. L Bon de Veire

Thanks for the informative article but I am still not clear what Assange is alleged to have done 'wrong'. All I hear is that a condom was torn. Please let us know the accusations. People here in Australia hear the word 'rape' and immediately think 'guilty of a heinous (and most likely violent) crime. We too have been the subject of feminist indoctrination for many years.

Thank you for the well-written article.There is suggestion that the women claiming forced sex have ties to, or are themselves anti-castro Cubans from Florida and likely are CIA operatives.There was no Assange DNA in the alleged condom according to Swedish investigations.

Thank you for the well-written article.There is suggestion that the women claiming forced sex have ties to, or are themselves anti-castro Cubans from Florida and likely are CIA operatives.There was no Assange DNA in the alleged condom according to Swedish investigations.

The feminist apparatus is well positioned and at the disposal of the state throughout the West. I am afraid Orwell will be correct in his predictions.The violation of human rights for men will continue under the feminist guise as a way to decrease dissent and maintain high male labor rates for national GDP purposes. If you want a good life for your children and unless you are well off financially, I would suggest not having male children.

You state the media ( that includes you) should not take the role of the courts by speculating. Yet in your article you infer that the judge will be completely biased as she holds "radical feminist views". You then also state that Assange is "simply a normal horny man". Like Assange you seem to feel that the guidelines you recommend for others do not apply to you.

That means: You are free to copy, distribute, display, the above-referred materials, under the following conditions

Attribution. You must attribute the work (full text, text excerpts, or artwork as indicated above) in this specified manner: Author’s name and hyperlink of the article or artwork in the Professors blog

Any of these conditions may be waived by seeking permission from Professors blogg. For contact email fdenoli@gmail.com